HP LaserJet P3005x

Sitting at the top of HP’s P3005 series of mono laser printers, the LaserJet P3005x is double the price of its base model counterpart. It adds a bevy of features, including more memory, an Ethernet connection and a third paper cassette. Residing at the same price point as the faster LaserJet P4015n (which also delivers better quality printing) the P3005x offers enhanced office functionality.

The P3005x is a fairly imposing printer, standing 474mm tall with the third paper cassette attached. It has USB and Ethernet connectivity and an embedded Web server for remote administration. The printer has 80MB of integrated memory, a sizeable increase on the base model’s 48MB; it can be upgraded to a maximum of 320MB. Automatic duplex is standard on the P3005x, giving it a definite leg-up on the P4015n which only provides the function as an optional extra (which is likely to cost you a few hundred dollars). For the environmentally conscious business, the P3005x is Energy Star certified.

As the optional paper cassette is simply an extra part added to the base retail model, minor assembly is required. Given that the printer itself is quite heavy this may be a two-person job. Unfortunately, there is no way to secure the supplementary paper cassette to the printer itself; the two parts simply click together. With this in mind, exercise caution if you're relocating the printer. Once the two parts are assembled, the printer will work with the optional paper cassette seamlessly.

With the third paper cassette attached, the P3005x has a total input capacity of 1100 pages, making useful for printing off War and Peace in a single afternoon. A 250 page output capacity may not quite keep up with larger documents, however, so users won’t be able to leave the printer fully unattended while printing Tolstoy.

A key feature of high-end laser printers is their durability, and the P3005x is a workhorse. The printer boasts a monthly duty cycle of 100,000 pages — an amazing figure but not as good as the LaserJet P4015n. Consumable efficiency is also quite decent: it manages to print 6500 pages from a low-quantity toner cartridge and 13,000 from a high-quantity toner cartridge. These cartridges cost $206 and $359, respectively. The printer delivers an optimal cost per page of 2.8c when using the high-capacity toner.

The printer’s onboard control panel is fairly limited; the Web server is much more useful for daily maintenance. The Web server allows users to set up remote alert notification, causing the printer to send an alert or status update to an e-mail address. Security and network settings are also easily configured through the server to prevent unauthorised printing or access.

Speed is another area in which the P3005x falls behind the P4015n, but it still manages decent figures. The printer has four quality settings, ranging from 600dpi draft mode to 1200dpi with 170 lines per pinch (LPI). Regardless of the quality setting the P3005x manages consistent speeds of 35 pages per minute, with the first page out in 12 seconds. Although these speeds are shy of the p4015n’s 54.5ppm, they remain quick for high quantity (and quality) printing.

Quality is largely indistinguishable between the two printers. Although the P3005x’s 170lpi line density pales in comparison to the P4015n’s 180lpi on paper, the results are almost identical. Text accuracy is fantastic, with no aberrations. On standard paper the P3005x’s output looked slightly faded in comparison to documents printed by the P4015n. However, when comparing the two side by side on high resolution A4 media this was not a problem.

If quality and performance are paramount, the P4015n trumps the P3005x in all respects. However, with automatic duplexing, expanded paper capacity and an Energy Star certification, the P3005x proves a reasonable compromise between quality and functionality.